Redemption
by PrInCeSsJeNn
Summary: Tony Stark is not the sole heir to the Stark legacy. The Avengers are about to bring a few more misfits into the fold...
1. Chapter 1 - What's Past is Prologue

Note: This is not IM3 (I like to pretend it didn't happen at _ALL_ ), CA:TWS, or AOU compliant. I'm playing fast and loose with plot lines... Peggy Carter is still kicking it like the badass that she is. I don't own any of em otherwise Bucky and Clint would belong to me. Anyone else that wasn't drummed up by Marvel belongs to my delightfully demented imagination...

In which we begin to bring our delightful cast together...

 **A little over ten months earlier...Starbucks, two blocks away from Avengers Tower...**

Darcy hummed to herself as she drank her White Chocolate Mocha and typed away on the keyboard of her laptop. It was a nice day out and she decided some Vitamin D might not be such a bad thing. In between answering emails and creating her schedule and work lists for the week, she was talking (typing she mentally corrected herself – in her mind she heard Steve's Captain America 'I'm disappointed in the 21st century' voice " _Back in the day, talking actually meant using real speech Doll" –_ cue the roll of her eyes now) to her.

 **LiLBiT312:** So when is my darling cousin going to take a break from the big bad PR world and come visit us lowly Starks not in the Tower?

She bit back a giggle.

 **DarcyWithaD:** I'm sorry, I wasn't aware there was such a thing as lowly Starks? Would that make Tony or Pepper Rapunzel? And not for nothing, Tony's been trying to rectify the fact that there are two of you not accounted for when we do Tower roll call. I'm saddened by the fact that the begging and pleading from both a Lewis and a Stark hasn't convinced you yet. He's getting so desperate that he's threatening to sick Pepper on you.

 **LiLBiT312:** Pepper's too badass to play the damsel in distress. Tony'd be Rapunzel. Cept it'd be more along the lines of Iron Man, Iron Man, send down the Mark 45.

 **DarcyWithaD:** LMAO! I can't with you. Seriously though, I think Pepper's planning to come see you next week.

 **LiLBiT312:** That'd be a dirty move...

 **DarcyWithaD:** But it'd be effective wouldn't it?

 **LiLBiT312:** Darce, I've accepted the fact that I'm going to need to step up to the family mantle eventually. But I need to do it in my own time. I'm not sure I'm ready to go from it just being me, Sansa and the pets at home to living with everyone. I feel like if it the Tower had a soundtrack, it'd be 'Welcome to the Jungle' (at least from how Aunt Peggy describes it). Is it so wrong to just want to concentrate on my little girl right now?

Darcy sighed deeply. Concentrating on Sansa was always Jenny's excuse as to why they hadn't moved to the Tower yet. To keep Sansa out of the media spotlight. Which, while it was a legitimate concern, Jenny also knew between her and Pepper's connections, there was no way the paparazzi would ever get close enough to the little girl.

In all reality, she thought Jenny might have some form of social phobia. Sam agreed with her after she'd spoken to him about it. Together, they thought it stemmed from the accident that took her parents and Sansa's father. While she only had one physical scar (which was cleverly covered up by a tattoo), Jenny hated the way people would sometimes look when she signed. And she wasn't sold on the hearing implants yet. She could still talk, but was preparing herself for the day when her hearing would finally go completely. She didn't want to be known as the deaf Stark. So instead, she kept to herself out on Long Island and socialized only when doing her charity work.

 **DarcyWithaD:** No, but Sansa would also benefit from having more family around. Think about it how awesome a childhood the kid could have growing up around the Avengers. Steve and I were talking about having kids somewhere down the line. Not to mention the fact that Tony and Pepper are planning to have a baby within the next year or so. She'll get to grow up with her cousins the same way we did J.

 **LiLBiT312:** I'll think about it Darce. I promise. * pinky promise *

It was at that moment, her reply to Jenny was interrupted as a man sat down across from her. He was wearing a Captain America sweatshirt, dark jeans and a Dodgers baseball cap. His hair just barely touched his shoulders. His face had a few days worth of stubble. There was no malice in his eyes, only fear and a myriad of other emotions. But mostly fear. _Why's he afraid of me?_

"You're Steve's girl," he said in a raspy voice.

Wordlessly, she nodded.

"I need ta see him," he pleaded, a distinctly Brooklyn accent seeping through.

As much as Darcy knew she should be alarmed, something told her that it wouldn't be necessary. She could practically hear Jenny and Natasha's voices telling her to go with her gut. "Who are you?"

"Punk had ta've talked bout me enough that ya can figure it out Doll," he responded with a faint smile.

She gave him a really good look and gasped as recognition flared in her eyes. "B-b-bucky? How? You died in '44!?"

He shook his head. "No Doll. I fell in '44 but I wasn't dead."

"Then where've you been for 70 years?"

"Hydra had me. I got the files ta prove it," he rasped.

Without giving it a second thought, she sent a message to Jenny.

 **DarcyWithaD:** J, I'm not sure what to do. This guy just sat down across from me saying that he's Bucky Barnes. He claims that Hydra's had him all this time.

 **LiLBiT312:** Okay. Calm down Darce. Don't you remember the vision I had when we were kids? What'd I say that set Aunt Peggy and Uncle Jim off? Shit, Steve doesn't even know that I know that...

"If you're really Bucky, what did you and Steve always tell each other, even when you were kids?"

Bucky smiled again. _Good girl_ , he thought to himself. _Being cautious. Steve must've told her. Punk taught her right._ Asking him something that wasn't on public record was a perfect way to verify that it was really him. "That we were with each other til the end of the line."

Darcy gasped covering her mouth. "Wow. Um okay. Why'd you come to me?"

"You're Stevie's girl an this is the first time I've been able to get near ya without a small army of bodyguards around ya Doll."

Darcy froze for a second, reaching under the table for her souped up tazer that Tony'd given her for her last birthday.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya Doll. I'd never hurt Stevie's girl."

Before Darcy could respond, another message came through her computer.

 **LiLBiT312:** Darce, it's really him I swear it. I had a dream about it last night. Just didn't think it would happen so soon otherwise I woulda told ya. And no, he won't hurt you. He's finally in his right mind (don't ask, not my story to tell). Call Tony first to get him clearance. Do not call Steve! He'll just end up waiting in the lobby which will make Bucky all kinds of anxious. Talk to him a little bit and call me later with the details. I wanna know what happened to my favorite historical hottie.

 **DarcyWithaD:** Only you'd say something like that J. Alright, I'll trust you on this. I'll call you or text you later. XOXO.

Bucky watched as Steve's girl smiled at whatever message she'd received. She typed a response and then closed her laptop. "Sorry, talking to my younger cousin."

"'S no problem Doll."

"Why now?"

"Broke my programming a while back. Been on my own until I could get who I was straight in my mind."

"Programming?"

"Hydra brainwashed me," he said in a tone that clearly said he didn't wanna talk any further on the subject.

A tone that really didn't faze Darcy Lewis (soon to be Rogers). "Hydra as in the Nazis? I thought Steve and the Commandos took them out. He killed Red Skull."

"Cut off one head," he responded trailing off.

"Shit. Tony and Steve need to know this."

"Tony?"

"Anthony Stark. Howard eventually married and had a child. Tony's married. His wife's the CEO of Stark Industries. I'm the Director of Public Relations and of the Avengers Initiative. Tony, as he goes by, is more commonly known as Iron Man."

"I get the feeling you're more than that Doll."

She looked up from her phone (she was texting Tony a mile a minute). "Tony's uncle and my aunt were married. So yeah, we're kinda family. He might be annoying as hell at times but he's the big brother I never had."

"'S how I always felt about Steve. He was my brother."

"He's missed you," she said giving him a soft reassuring smile as she reached across the table. "Never quite got over it."

"Is he okay"

She laughed. "He's, um, adjusted to the 21st Century as best he can. Still a superhero fighting crime. Cept he does it with a bunch of other superheroes. Oh and we're engaged," she declared holding up her left hand.

"That's his Ma's ring," he said softly, his tone wistful.

She smiled brightly nodding. "I cried hysterically when he gave it to me. Turns out Aunt Peggy had all of his stuff in storage."

"Peggy? Peggy Carter?"

She nodded. "Mine and Tony's godmother. Practically raised us. Everyone's favorite Battle Axe is alive and kicking at the ripe old age of 95. Still sharp as a tack and keeping all of us in line. Lives a few blocks from the Avengers Tower but only because she refuses to live in what she calls a _fraternity house for wayward superheroes with parental issues and varying degrees of post traumatic stress disorder_."

Bucky laughed because he could see Peggy saying something like that. Woman had a sharp tongue and incredible wit. One of the things he'd always liked about her.

They were interrupted as a blonde man approached from behind Darcy. While he wasn't overtly threatening, he was clearly there to protect her. He kissed the side of her head as he sat down casually beside her. She smiled widely and poked his side good naturedly. "I told Tony I was fine," she grumbled with a grin.

"Be that as it may Sparky," he said with a grin of his own. "We're all a little too partial to ya to take chances. And if Steve caught wind of the fact that I knew and didn't come to check on you, well, let's just say that I'd rather not consider the consequences. Sides that, Tasha told me to come down. She said to tell you she'd help Tony get things settled."

She nodded. "That woman is so freakin perceptive it's scary. Bucky Barnes meet Clint Barton."

–

 **In which the Avengers learn that Darcy and Tony are kinda sorta related...but not...well maybe...**

It was a typical Tuesday night (well as typical as it could get for a group of intergalactic super heroes and their companions) in the Avengers tower. Tuesdays were family dinner night – a tradition started by Tony just after the group moved in three years ago. Meaning that everyone (including Pepper, Jane, Erik, Darcy and Bucky [in spite of the fact that the spysassin was doing his very best impression of a recluse – but that didn't stop Tony from trying...and it was starting to work]) was required to attend.

Usually after dinner, they broke out the board, dance, video, card games and went to town for the rest of the night. Tony, Steve,Thor, Bucky, and Clint were in the middle of a game of Texas Hold 'Em (Bucky was kicking some serious ass – his poker face was epic...). Bruce and Erik were playing Scrabble. Darcy, Jane, Pepper and Natasha were on their second bottle of wine, cracking each other up with an increasingly raucous game of Cards Against Humanity (complete of course with the both of the Avengers Expansion Packs).

Jarvis interrupted the fun. "Sir, a young woman and a child just appeared in the private lobby. The child is asking for both you and Ms. Lewis. She appears to be extremely agitated."

Tony and Darcy shot each other a look across the room. Pepper and Jane looked up knowing what the pair was thinking. Steve froze as his eyes locked on his fiance.

"Did the woman say what her name is J Man?" Darcy asked wondering if it was who they thought it was.

"I'm afraid that she appears to be injured and having a difficulty speaking. The child is injured as well, however her injuries appear to be superficial. She is speaking for both herself and the woman."

Without another word, Tony, Steve, Pepper, Darcy and Jane stopped what they were doing and ran for the elevator. Darcy was in such a hurry, she jumped over the back of the couch (in a move that on any other day would've made Clint, Natasha and Bucky proud). Tony made a mad dash the likes of which none of them had ever seen before.

The rest of the group quickly followed suit wanting to know what was going on. No one had ever seen Tony or Darcy act this way and it was really freaking them out.

As the elevator doors closed on all its occupants, it sounded like the set up for a bad joke: a Hulk, three scientists, a super soldier, two spysassins, an archer, a Norse god, a PR rep, a corporate CEO, and a billionaire walk in an elevator...

Any other time, it would've been a contest to see who woul out snark who with the jokes. But now, in this moment, the tension was palpable.

The whole way down, Tony kept punching the lobby button. "Jarvis, can't we punch it?"

"I'm afraid not Sir."

Darcy was bouncing on her heels hovering in front of the door. Steve put his hand on her back in an effort to sooth her. But it was to no avail. "C'mon J, pick up the speed just a bit please?"

"As I told Sir, I cannot alter the speed of the elevator Ms. Lewis."

"Who is it that we think is down there?" Clint queried from behind his friends.

She turned and looked up at him. "Remember I told you about my cousin Jenny and her little girl Sansa?"

He nodded.

"It could only be them. They're the only family Tony and I have in common anymore. No one else would be asking for both of us at the same. At least I don't think so."

"I thought they were away Darce?"

"Last we knew they were."

"Something's not right," Tony said, his expression full of worry.

Clint looked between them in confusion. "Wait, family in common?"

"Marielena Lewis, my aunt, married Kristian Stark, Tony's uncle and they subsequently had two kids: our cousins Faolan and Jenny. Our aunt, uncle and Jenny's best friend slash baby daddy Alsander were all killed when they were hit head on by a drunk driver a few days after her 18th birthday. Jenny was thrown from the car but somehow escaped with very little injury. A few months later, Faolan was declared KIA after his unit was attacked in the Middle East. She's been on her own ever since."

"Not for lack of trying on my part though," Tony murmured. "I've been trying to get her to move in with me since then. Especially after she had Sansa."

"And we've both been trying to get her to move here for over a year now."

It felt as if it took forever for the elevator to reach the ground floor. In reality it only took maybe a few minutes.

When the doors opened, nothing could've prepared Darcy and Tony (or the rest of the team) for what they saw.

There was a woman slumped on one of the couches with a crying little girl next to her. She was bleeding from wounds to her head, shoulder, stomach and both thighs. Her neck had dark and angry purple hand prints wrapped all the way around. As did her arms in multiple places. Her left eye was black (not to mention swollen shut) and her right eye didn't look much better. She was breathing but it was clearly shallow. Her head lolled to the side as she fell in and out of consciousness.

The little girl had a black eye and cuts up her left arm. Her left wrist looked pretty swollen. But all in all, she was in far better shape.

The second she laid eyes on Tony and Darcy, she made a beeline for them.

Darcy bent down and caught the crying four year old in her arms. "Aunt Darcy," Sansa sobbed into her shoulder. "The bad guys hurt us. Mommy used her powers to get us outta there."

The words the little girl used had Bucky, Steve and Clint all looking at each other. 'Powers' Steve mouthed to his best friends. Both shrugged not knowing what was going on.

"It's okay Sansa Girl. Aunt Darcy's got you. You're safe." Tears welled in her eyes as she looked her little cousin over. The state that both she and Jenny were in told her all she needed to know. She gently rocked Sansa back and forth as she carefully smoothed her hair down.

Not waiting for anyone else's approval, Natasha and Bruce ran for the woman to see what they could do for her.

Tony meanwhile, knelt down his eyes looking over her form in horror. "Jenny?"

"Tone," she responded hoarsely, unable to open her eyes. "Hurts," she rasped as she bowed in pain - the agony written all over her face. She was covered in a macabre collection of bullet wounds, bruises, cuts, abrasions and shit, were those bites?

"Shhhh don't try to talk," Bruce said as he examined her.

"Tony," Natasha said pulling him out of his daze, "we need to get her upstairs. Those wounds aren't through and throughs; and she might be bleeding internally."

He nodded, his expression frightful, as he slid his arms under her as gently as he could.

She cried out but managed to weakly wrap her arms around his neck.

Tony turned towards the elevator. "Jarvis, get Doc Cho to meet us in medical stat!"

"Yes Sir."

Darcy stood with a still sobbing Sansa clinging her to like a baby monkey.

The group followed as the pair stepped into the elevator with their younger cousins.

–

Reviews are love :)


	2. Chapter 2 - The Sass is Strong

Note: This is not IM3 (I like to pretend it didn't happen at _ALL_ ), CA:TWS, or AOU compliant. I'm playing fast and loose with plot lines... Peggy Carter is still kicking it like the badass that she is. I don't own any of em otherwise Bucky and Clint would belong to me. Anyone else that wasn't drummed up by Marvel belongs to my delightfully demented imagination...

Note 2: In my mind, Pepper Stark is Jaime Ray Newman...

 **Chapter 2: The Sass is Strong With This One**

In which we learn more about the Stark girls...

 _ **Two hours later...**_

Bucky watched as Steve held Darcy. She'd fallen asleep against him, exhaustion evident on her face. She'd been pacing back and forth ever since Doctor Cho and her team had taken the girls away. As much as they all understood her reasoning for not letting any of them in while she was treating the pair, Darcy and Tony protested...quite loudly. It had been Steve, Jane and Pepper who'd managed to talk them down from staging a coup. Tony sat in a chair with his head in his hands as Pepper rubbed his back. Darcy was yanked onto one of the couches by her fiance. Wordlessly, he pulled her into his arms and she sobbed into his chest. After what seemed like forever, she'd finally cried herself to sleep.

"The first time I met Jenny," Steve piped up with the ghost of a smile on his face, "she scared me a little."

Jane chuckled. "I remember that. The look on your face was priceless Steve. But don't lie, she scared you a lot, Which is saying something cause you made the conscious decision to marry Darcy. And I mean that in the most loving way possible."

Steve, very maturely stuck his tongue out at her making the group smile. Jane winked in response.

"What transpired?" Thor asked with interest. He silently hoped that encouraging the conversation would ease some of the tension in the room.

"Darcy, Steve and I went to the brownstone that Jenny's parents had in Brooklyn for dinner. You guys were in DC that night I think. Some meeting with some Senators or something or other."

"It was actually a State dinner with the President," Tony replied with a smirk. "But toe-may-to, toe-ma-to and all that jazz."

"Hey," Jane giggled. "Science is my thing. You know beyond you guys, the gossip in this tower and science, I pay attention to nothing."

"So what'd she do that was so scary Punk?" Bucky queried, picking up on Thor's idea and nodding to him across the room.

His grin widened. "As soon as Darce knocked on the door, Jenny answered. Before she even said a word, I was speechless. She was not at all what I was expecting. Tiny little thing, bright welcoming smile, mischief in her eyes with a bunch of tattoos and piercings. Darce blamed her love of ink on Jenny and it made sense once I saw her. I guess I kinda expected different knowing she was half Stark."

"I don't know if I should be offended or not," Tony remarked with a grin.

"It was a compliment to Jenny. Believe me."

Tony put his hand to his chest in mock outrage. "Was I just insulted by an American Icon?"

Pepper, Steve, and Natasha rolled their eyes.

Jane laughed and chose not to acknowledge Tony in favor of continuing the story. She had a soft spot for Jenny. A huge soft spot. The first time Darcy had introduced her, Jenny started yelling about insane scientists and their inability to care for themselves properly. _Doc, you've got enough baggage for a Boeing 747 under those pretty eyes of yours. Go take a shower and rest. No less than five hours or I will tie you to the bed and give you a sedative. Trust me, this way is more peaceful for all of us. I'd prefer neither of us end up with bruises. I'll make you something that isn't a granola bar or Pop Tart when you wake up. I promise I'll let you Science some more later._ To Darcy and Erik's amazement, she listened, even faster than she normally did for Darcy. She quickly came to see the diminutive (and incredibly bossy) young woman as a little sister. A much loved little sister.

"And in typical Jenny fashion, what left her mouth next was equal parts hysterical and terrifying all at once. Made Steve blush like a tomato right off the bat. Absolutely priceless."

"Oh this I've got to hear," Clint said with a grin as he sat forward.

Steve groaned in embarrassment. "Woulda been nice if someone had at least warned me about her."

Tony grinned as his eyes glinted with mischief. "Hate to break it to ya Cap, but she's a Lewis _and_ a Stark. Isn't that enough of a warning label? She bleeds snark and sarcasm is her oxygen. It's all wrapped up in a deceptively distracting package."

Natasha smiled at the mirth on her friends faces. "What'd she say? It had to be good if Steve's blushing about it even now."

Jane and Pepper chuckled. The former being present for the conversation, the latter had learned about it from Jane and Darcy a few days later.

"Jenny opened the door, hugged Darcy and I then shoved us out of the way. With a dirty grin, she looks Steve up and down like he was a piece of meat then winked at Darcy and said _done good coz. Done real good. That's some crazy beautiful wrapped up in a sinfully good looking package. A lil too pretty for me. But if he wasn't yours, I'd at least take him for a test drive. Moving up in the world defiling a national icon on the regular and he put a ring on it? I whole-heartedly approve. I dare say I'm even slightly envious._ I about damn near died from laughter as Steve choked. Darcy did her little cackle and hugged Jenny again."

"And then Jenny hugged me. She patted my chest and said _'s okay Stevie Boy. You'll get used to me. We're gonna be family. So ya got no choice. An just so ya know, I wasn't kidding about the pretty thing. But you're also pretty taken so I mean nothin by it. Darce did tell me you can be a sassy little shit just like the rest of us when ya want so I'd appreciate a little more enthusiasm from you next time._ Then she went to go check on dinner like it never happened."

"We're keeping her right?" Clint asked with glee, already plotting where she'd fit in with them. "I haven't even met the girl yet and I like her."

Jane nodded. "I guess you'll like her even more when I tell you that not only does she own all of the Nerf collection, she's modified them to make them better. Including the girls _Rebelle_ line. The bow and crossbow being her faves. She's got some surprisingly scary aim and loves to climb. I have no doubt the two of you will be fast friends."

"Yes," Clint said with a fist pump.

"Just what he needs," Natasha said as she rolled her eyes. "Someone to encourage his childishness."

"You guys will get a kick out of Sansa too. She was the one who gave Steve the shovel talk," Jane said with a cackle.

"What?" Clint asked with an arched eyebrow. Everyone was grinning, even Steve. "Oh man, we get two of em? This is gonna be great."

Steve shook his head and rolled his eyes at Clint's eagerness. "Oh yeah. There are no words that can do it justice."

"Try anyway," Bucky said with a grin.

Steve's eyes danced with laughter. "That little girl is adorably terrifying just like her Mama. But there's an innocence to it so you can't help but love them."

"How the hell'd that happen?" Tony asked, his head popping up. "And how did I not hear about this before?"

Steve chuckled. "After dessert, I took out the trash while the girls were cleaning up. Sansa followed me outside and sat down on the back stoop. With a sweet smile on her face she said _so you're gonna marry Aunt Darcy right?_ I nodded and then she says _Aunt Darcy's my godmother and Mommy and I love her lots. You better love her lots too._ I told her that I did. Told her I loved her a whole lot. She smiled at me and batted her eyes while she said _you better love her a whole lot always. Cause Mommy and I don't care if you're Captain America or not. You hurt Aunt Darcy and there'll be problems._ "

Everyone laughed.

"What'd you say to that Punk?"

"What the hell can ya say to that? She's four. It was not something I'd expect from a four year old! She stood up gestured for me to come give her a hug which I did. Then she said _good talk. I'm gonna call you Uncle Steve from now on just so you know._ I told her that was fine. To which she told me that as my first official act as Uncle Steve, I needed to give her a piggy back ride. So I did."

"Yeah," Tony said nodding. "That's pretty much Sansa and Jenny for you. Protective of their own and loving as all hell. They love adopting strays."

It was then that Doctor Cho came out into the waiting room. "Jennifer is out of surgery. We had to administer a very high dose of anesthesia so she'll be out for at least another couple of hours. Tony, I figured you'd all want to keep her company so she's being moved your recovery suite. Sansa's already there. She's awake for now and asking for you, Darcy, Pepper and Steve."

–

 _ **Later that night...**_

Sansa and Jenny lay in hospital beds side by side in Tony's recovery room in the medical ward. Sansa had been given something to sleep in order to allow her real rest and decompress from the situation once the adrenaline wore off. But before Doctor Cho had administered the sedative, Darcy, Steve and Tony had been able to speak to the little girl a bit. While she was traumatized, she was alert enough to try and give details to her cousins as if she knew she had crucial information.

Once it was clear that Jenny had safely come out of surgery, Pepper managed to drag Tony upstairs so he could take a shower and change. He was incredibly frazzled between the shock of their sudden appearance and the lack of sleep. It didn't help that he still had Jenny's blood all over him.

Thor, Jane, and Clint had gone to get Starbucks for the group. Natasha and Sam (who had come back from a date in the middle of the melee – Bucky called him) were making 'discreet' phone calls to see if anyone useful had any information. Bruce was in the lab with Erik and Doctor Cho analyzing the blood samples they'd taken from the girls. It was shaping up to be a long night. Darcy and Steve flopped down into two of the chairs between Jenny and Sansa's beds.

"You okay Darce?" Bucky queried as he watched his best friend's fiance.

She shook her head sadly. "From what we got from Sansa, they were kidnapped a little over two weeks ago. Jenny fought hard but they were eventually able to overpower her. They were brought to some kind of warehouse after traveling by van. There was a doctor there that wasn't Brazilian. She said he sounded like he had an Eastern European accent. He injected them with all kinds of things. She swears she heard the word serum multiple times. She said that the doctor had a pin that had a skull with octopus tentacles on it."

"Hydra?" Bucky asked as he sat on the other side of Jenny's bed. His fingers itched to move the hair out of her face. It was the craziest thing, while he'd never met her before, his subconscious was screaming at him to protect what was his. _Have to speak to Tash when she gets back,_ he thought, _it doesn't make sense._

Not that he'd tell Darcy or Steve that. They'd probably go ballistic if he touched her. Darcy was even more protective of the pair than she was of her scientists (even Tony). Steve, by extension (because they were family to his fiance and because they'd be family to him eventually...and also because that was just Steve), was protective of them as well.

The pair nodded grimly.

Bucky's expression matched theirs. "I hate to ask," he said as he swallowed thickly, feeling pressure in his chest. "Was she?"

Darcy shook her head, her expression somewhat relieved. "Thankfully no. Small mercies is what Grandma Lewis used to say."

"Definitely is Doll," he said softly as he released a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. Hydra wasn't exactly known for being nice. He knew that all too well.

Steve stood up and began pacing, the disgust was evident in his expression. His jaw was tight as he answered. "Sansa said that they kept testing them, mostly strength and endurance stuff. But the last coupla days had been all about testing Jenny's pain threshold. All of Sansa's injuries were from her fighting the guards who were holding her back. They kept her in the next room as three guys beat, stabbed, shocked and all around tortured Jenny within inches of her life."

Bucky bit back the bile in his throat as he glanced at he beautiful little girl. She had at the very least heard, if not seen her mother's abuse. That was some heavy shit. "Fucking hell."

"She said that she and Jenny had developed strength and abilities within days of the injections they were given. After the last beating, they chucked her in with Sansa. Jenny used what little energy she had to get them here, where she knew they'd be safe," Darcy said as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Helen says that she's healing at an extremely accelerated rate. Like as fast as you or I would," Steve said as he sat down beside Sansa's bed. He gently brushed some of the little girl's hair off of her face. "Sansa's almost completely healed Buck. Her black eye, the bruises and cuts look like they're days and weeks old not hours. Even if it wasn't the exact same serum we have, it's pretty damn close."

"An how's she mentally?"

"She's doing pretty well considering. From what I've heard her saying to Darcy, they were able to do things before they were taken."

"Whaddaya mean do things?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Tony said as he and Pepper entered the room. He grabbed a chair and pulled it up to Jenny before sitting down and reaching for his cousin's hand and kissing it. "Since she was really little, she just kind of always seemed to know things. Like she'd be able to repeat parts of a conversation she wasn't there for. Or she'd tell us about dreams that she had and then later the things she dreamt about would actually happen. And thinking back on it, Faolan did that shit a lot too. Whatever Hydra gave her probably enhanced it further."

"Like Tasha?"

"No," he said shaking his head negatively. "More than Red. Way more. Aunt Mari would always tell her to stop whenever she'd try to tell anyone about something that was gonna happen. She was afraid of it. Like full on terrified. Which you could just tell hurt Jenny. Uncle Kris was the complete opposite though."

Darcy nodded, her expression far away and thoughtful. "Uncle Kristian would always encourage her to speak up. Told her that God gave her a gift and she should never let anyone smother it not even our aunt. She told me I was gonna meet Jane a full year before I did."

Pepper smiled softly at her husband as she held Jenny's other hand. "The first time I met her, she gave me a hug and whispered in my ear that one day I was gonna marry Tony. She said it was our little secret because I had to learn that Tony was a good guy for myself. Her exact words were, _he might come off as a dick, but that's because it's his way of protecting his heart_ "

"That's what had you so spooked that day," he said with a wink.

She nodded with a loving smile. "She was right."

Tony smiled back and winked. "She's pretty much always been dead on with what she says. From what she's told me over the years, sometimes it's feelings other times it's full blown visions that come to her when she's awake or asleep. She cried the day she realized she'd outlive Alsander. She had to be 10 or 11 I think at that point. Locked herself in her room for two days, and I was the only one she told. She thought everyone else would be angry with her. I remember telling her that it didn't mean he wouldn't live to be older, it just meant that she'd probably live longer than him by a day or something. We didn't talk about it again until after Al died. But the one that freaked everyone out the most was when she was on her fifth birthday, she wandered into the living room and told Aunt Peggy that neither of you were dead. Her exact words were _Cap and Buck haven't reached the end of the line yet._ "

"Holy shit," Bucky said glancing at his best friend. Steve for his part, looked a little pale as he held Darcy's hand.

"Yeah, Aunt Peg fainted and Dad looked like he'd seen a ghost. When Uncle Jim asked her where she got that from, she said it came to her when she opened the freezer because both of you were cold."

"And she's been able to do that her whole life?"

"Pretty much," Darcy said as she held Sansa's hand with the one she had free. "Sasa's got it too. There's been things she's said that she couldn't possibly know. Grandma Lewis used to say that it was inherited through our bloodline. She called it magic. Said it was because we were descendants of some gypsy tribe."

"And do you believe that?"

"Honestly, when you're surrounded by gods, super soldiers, and a clairvoyant spysassin, it's hard not to. If all of that can exist, why can't magic? Jenny always believed she was given her gifts for a reason. I don't doubt it. If I believe in nothing else, I believe in her."

"Ditto, cause this conversation is starting to get full of feels and we all know how uncomfortable that makes me," Tony said with a grin which made Darcy and Pepper giggle. Bucky and Steve rolled their eyes good naturedly.

–

Reviews are love :)


	3. Chapter 3 - Jaime and Jenn

Note: This is not IM3 (I like to pretend it didn't happen at _ALL_ ), CA:TWS, or AOU compliant. I'm playing fast and loose with plot lines... Peggy Carter is still kicking it like the badass that she is. I don't own any of em otherwise Bucky and Clint would belong to me. Anyone else that wasn't drummed up by Marvel belongs to my delightfully demented imagination...

Note 2: In my mind, Pepper Stark is Jaime Ray Newman...

 **Chapter 3: Jaime and Jenn**

A bit more about Jenny Stark...

 **Note:** While Jenny's behavior in this chapter might seem a bit OOC given what she's been through, bear in mind everyone deals with trauma differently. The gravity of the situation will set in eventually.

 _ **The following afternoon...**_

Bucky paced his living room as Steve and Darcy sat on the couch watching him. Steve recognized the fierce determination in his best friend's eyes. Natasha watched as her friends debated back and forth the merits of Bucky helping Jenny.

Tony lay on the opposite couch with Sansa sleeping on his chest. They all spoke softly for fear of waking the little girl. She'd already been released from medical and had been clinging to Tony, Pepper, Darcy and Steve. They'd been passing her back and forth all morning. It'd taken a while, but she'd worn herself out and was currently blissfully unaware of the discussion going on around her.

"What I'm trying to say is we don't know what we're in for when she wakes up. I'm not saying we're not gonna take care of her. Her and Sansa, they're ours now. Jenny's one of us and I'm not just saying that because she's Tony and Darce's cousin. I feel it in my gut. She's meant to be here like Tasha said."

"So then what's the problem Punk?"

"Christ Buck, it took what six months on your own and then six months with us before you were even remotely comfortable in your own skin? What do you think's gonna happen with her?"

"I dunno."

"Buck, I get it. I really do. You're probably the only one that'll be able to understand what she went through. But is it a good idea to go digging in someone else's head when you just got back into yours?"

Darcy laid a comforting hand on Steve's arm. "Baby, I'm concerned for Bucky too but we can't make his decisions for him. If he wants to help Jenny then let him. She's gonna need all the help she can get I think. And Sansa, well they say it takes a village and all that."

When he'd first come looking for Steve, she'd been the one he talked to first. What neither of them knew, was that in order to be sure she didn't screw things up, she'd called Jenny for help. Jenny was the one who talked her and Tony through every step of the way. Gave her ideas and suggestions so that they could help him and not scare him away. The only one who knew that was Sam. And that was only because he called them on it.

It seemed oddly appropriate that he (unknowingly) wanted to return the favor. Who was she to stop him?

"Thanks Darce," Bucky said as he winked at her. "Punk, I think I'll be fine. It might even help me exorcise a few more demons of my own. Sides that, she's among family. We're not gonna let her hit rock bottom the way I did. At least not on my watch."

"She won't," Natasha said, finally speaking up. "She'll flourish with you. With us. They both will."

Bucky winked at her. The fact that she said _you_ before _us_ wasn't lost on him.

"Is that a feeling or?" Tony trailed off as he looked down at Sansa asleep in his arms.

She bent down next to him and stroked Sansa's hair before kissing her forehead softly. "I've seen it Tony. They're going to do great things. They're are exactly what we need and vice versa. Big things are on the horizon."

"Good, bad or indifferent?"

"A lot of good. More so than we're used to," she said as she cuddled up to Clint. "And no that doesn't mean it's a set up for something bad either."

"You sure?"

"I called it with James didn't I?"

Tony, Darcy, Steve, Clint, and Bucky all nodded.

"So then what are we all worried about?"

Bucky smiled smugly at his friends.

Clint and Steve both rolled their eyes.

Tony waved them off as he started drifting, joining Sansa in the land of slumber.

–

 _ **Later that night...**_

Now that it was quiet and everyone was asleep, Bucky snuck back in to see her. He'd been waiting for the opportunity. If someone asked, he couldn't say why. Instinct was simply telling him that he needed to be there with her. And if it was one thing he learned not to ignore these days, it was going with his gut. It was, after all, what had led him back to Steve and recovering his memories.

 _(When they'd discuss it somewhere down the line, Jenny would tell him it was the Powers that Be doing what needed to be done. That the Fates had plans for them and it wasn't their job to question it. He'd scoff but secretly he believed it too. After all, he couldn't see any other way the Avenging Angel would have ever crossed his path. He vowed to spend the rest of his life thanking them every day for her.)_

Jennifer (or Jenny as Darcy, Steve, Pepper, Jane and Tony kept calling her) was small in stature, but even under the blankets, he could tell she had luscious curves like Darcy. _Guess that's the Lewis genes._ He guessed that the younger woman probably only reached his shoulders, if that. Having glimpsed them two nights before, he knew she had incredible eyes. Cerulean with a ring of jade in the middle. A color he'd never seen before. It captivated him. She was fair skinned, ever fairer than Steve when he was sick.

She had a plethora of tattoos. Apparently, she was the one who got Darcy addicted to them. Her left arm from her wrist to her shoulder was covered in ink. She had eight earrings in each ear, a small stud (that matched her eyes) in her nose and a metal ball (that also matched her eyes) in her tongue. Tony (while rolling his eyes and mumbling about her obsession with shiny metal) had told Doc Cho to leave the piercings in because Jenny would have a heart attack if she woke up without them.

Her hair was long and crimson. Mixed in were black, royal purple, hunter green and royal blue. On her right hand was a claddagh ring with the tip of the heart facing out (he knew that it meant she didn't belong to anyone – Steve's mother had told them about the rings and their significance when they were kids). The stone in the heart matched the ones in her nose and tongue. Her nails were perfectly manicured and were curved somewhat (Pepper and Natasha had someone come in and fix her nails – most of them had been broken when she arrived – from fighting back he surmised). They were painted gunmetal gray with pink, white and black designs on them (her favorite colors according to Tony). Any longer and those claws would probably be considered weapons (he briefly thought that Natasha would be proud). While Jennifer Stark was not what would be considered conventionally beautiful in his time, she was breathtaking in her own right.

"Hi," she said softly as she sat up. It wasn't the first time she'd woken up today, but it was definitely the most interesting. _Interesting? Yeah that's what we'll go with for the moment._

The Winter Solder himself, James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes was standing at the foot of her bed. And damn was he ridiculously beautiful. _He's not even just hot, he's h-a-w-t with a capital H. Goddess Bless I could lick every friggin inch of him._ She resisted the urge to fan herself. He was wearing a dark gray (her favorite color) wife beater and dark wash jeans that hugged his delicious form perfectly. She found herself fascinated by his left arm. Since she was a child she'd always had an affinity for shiny metal things. _Thus the reason I have so many piercings._ His hair was pulled back so she could see his chiseled features. His face was slightly scruffy which she found sexy as hell. _Goddess Bless, this man is gorgeous._

Natasha (did she mention she quite liked the Black Window a lot) had been the one to explain who Bucky was. Not that she wouldn't have recognized him from the history books or anything. Or known from the conversations with Darcy and Tony... but then again none of them really needed to know that. At least not yet. She told her that though he was somewhat reclusive at times (he was still re-acclimating), she'd find a kindred spirit in him since he too was an escaped Hydra experiment. Apparently he'd been with the Avengers for about ten months (again, she played dumb a bit) after regaining his memories and seeking out Steve. She could still see some of the demons in his eyes. But it didn't scare her one bit. Quite the opposite actually.

"Hi," he murmured in response. It startled him that he'd completely missed the fact that she'd woken up. He watched as she rubbed the sleep from her captivating eyes.

She smiled tenderly at him. "Please sit, you're making me nervous."

"Sorry Doll," he murmured softly as he pulled up the chair beside her bed and sat down.

"'S okay, my nerves are kinda shot at tha moment. Please don't take it personal if I'm jumpy." she replied her accent slipping through.

"Is that a Brooklyn accent I hear," he found himself asking without missing a beat.

She nodded smiling. "Ya got me. Born and raised in Sheepshead Bay. Ya can take the girl outta Brooklyn but ya can't take Brooklyn outta the girl."

"No shit Doll," he said with a wink and a crooked grin.

 _That grin should be considered a weapon._ She stuck out her hand as she winked right back. "You must be James."

He grasped her tiny hand in his. "And you're Jennifer."

He laughed at the face she made. "Not Jennifer please. I'm only ever Jennifer when I'm in trouble."

"Anyone ever call you Jenn?"

She shook her head. "Believe it or not, I've always been Jenny to everyone but my mother. But I kinda like it."

"Then that's what I'm gonna call you Doll."

 _There's that grin again._ "Anyone ever call you Jaime?"

"No, but I kinda like it."

With that, the pair smiled at each other widely.

 _Years later, that would be the moment that Jenny (Jenn to Bucky) and Bucky (Jaime to Jenny) would point to as the beginning of their second (well third actually but it was a long story) chance at life. The day their respective slate was wiped clean (her) and ledger put back in the green (him)._

–

Reviews are love :)


	4. Chapter 4 - Of Princesses and Dragons

Note: This is not IM3 (I like to pretend it didn't happen at _ALL_ ), CA:TWS, or AOU compliant. I'm playing fast and loose with plot lines... Peggy Carter is still kicking it like the badass that she is. I don't own any of em otherwise Bucky and Clint would belong to me. Anyone else that wasn't drummed up by Marvel belongs to my delightfully demented imagination...

Note 2: In my mind, Pepper Stark is Jaime Ray Newman...

 **Chapter 4: Of Princesses and Dragons**

In which Clint receives a new nickname...

Jenny was in the middle of a conversation with Darcy and Natasha, with Bruce occasionally chiming in, when Clint dropped into the room from the ventilation shaft.

A giggle of mirth spilled from her lips. "Oh this is too easy," she said with a grin as she clapped her hands. "I shall call thee Gus Gus."

Darcy and Tasha cackled. Bruce hid his grin behind his magazine. Clint, well Clint looked completely flabbergasted. "Why?"

"Because my dear archer, mice crawl around in ventilation shafts and ducting."

His pout was priceless. "Gus Gus?"

"Gus Gus," she said with a nod. _Yeah, I just gave Tony, Bruce and Steve some new fodder._

"No getting outta it huh?" _Tony is never gonna let that go once he hears it._

"Not a chance my love. But on the bright side, it could be worse."

"How's that?" he asked with a frown.

She smiled sympathetically. "I coulda gone with a rat or an even sillier mouse. Ya know like Fievel. Which would of course have lead to Darce and I constantly singing _'Somewhere Out There'._ At least I gave you the one who helps a future princess. And in my defense, you jumped right into it. Like literally," she responded.

"What about Pinky and the Brain?" Clint asked grasping at straws.

Jenny chuckled as she shook her head negatively. "Dude, no."

"Why not?"

"Cause from what I hear, that'd make you Pinky."

"What!?"

"Oh c'mon Dude. Natasha would so be the Brain," Darcy chimed in as she giggled.

Jenny nearly choked as she muttered, "what're we gonna do today Brain?"

"The same thing we do every day Pinky," Natasha deadpanned. "Try and take over the world."

All three girls burst into laughter. Clint failed miserably at trying not to laugh with them.

"Oh my Gods," Jenny said as tears of laughter fell down her porcelain cheeks. "I'm so keeping you. You're all kinds of awesome." She stuck out her fist for Natasha to bump.

Which she did with a wide smile. Natasha had quickly found herself becoming very fond of the two youngest Starks. They were a breath of fresh air in the Avengers world of heroic chaos.

While Jenny and Sansa had the same snark, sarcasm and wit that Tony and Darcy possessed, they were also warm, friendly and incredibly accepting (not to say that Darcy and Tony weren't as well – it was just that Jenny and Sansa seemed to give it more freely than their cousins).

Qualities that their group (aka wonderfully dysfunctional family) needed in spades. Without a doubt, the girls would blend in just fine. It was a sense of belonging that she knew Jenny needed more so than Sansa. The little girl had already proved herself incredibly adaptable to change.

She eagerly awaited seeing how the dynamic between Jenny and Bucky would play out. There wasn't a doubt in her mind (even without the intuition telling her), that the pair would quickly become irrevocably intertwined with each other. Something Bucky hadn't seem to know he needed until Jenny arrived. And from what Darcy, Tony, Steve, Pepper, Jane and Erik had told her, Jenny desperately wanted.

"Funny," Clint said as he flopped down on end of the bed beside Jenny's legs. "Mouth said the exact same thing the first time she met Tasha."

Jenny then held out her fist to Darcy. Much to the chagrin of their friends, the pair made an exploding noise when they bumped fists.

"And I said it the first time I met Pep," Tony declared as he wandered in and sat down on the other side of Jenny, snatching the remote from Clint.

Clint of course, let out a gasp of mock outrage and did his best to look put out.

Natasha rolled her eyes behind her husband's back and then quickly smiled when he turned to face her.

Jenny then held her fist out to Tony. "That's cause we rock."

"I'm starting to wonder if Pepper was right," Bruce said looking up from the issue of _Popular Mechanics_ he was reading.

Darcy, Jenny and Tony all spoke at the same time. "About?"

"Wow that's creepy," Clint mumbled under his breath.

To which Bruce rolled his eyes. "That having Tony, Darcy, Jenny and Sansa all under one roof is just asking for trouble."

"Oh puleeze," Jenny snorted. "You play innocent far too well. I know all about..." she was cut off as Tony and Darcy slapped their hands over her mouth.

"Secrets don't make friends," Clint said in a sing-song voice wanting to know what Jenny had been about to say.

Bruce snickered at the archer and winked at Jenny.

"Fine, fine," she sighed as she pried her cousin's hands from her mouth. "I won't tell a soul."

Bruce snorted. "That might be a bit more believable if you weren't a Stark or a Lewis. But the fact that you're both kills it."

"Hey!" Tony and Darcy declared in unison. "I resemble that remark."

"You wound me Doc," Jenny said faking hurt. She patted her chest over her heart with her fist. "It hurts me right here," she sniffled, feigning wiping away tears with her other hand.

The room went silent for a moment before Tony, Darcy and Jenny dissolved into laughter.

Steve, Sam and Bucky happened to walk in at that moment. "Didn't I tell you that we're in for it now?" he asked Bruce as he sat in the chair beside him.

"Star-Spangled Man with a Plan say what?" Jenny asked into between giggles.

Which of course sent Darcy into another fit of laughter.

Bucky winked at Jenny when he caught her eye. He was genuinely glad to see her smiling. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought to himself.

Jenny just barely resisted the urge to fan herself.

Just. Barely.

If anyone had called her on it, she would've blamed it on still feeling weak.

Yeah, that sounded believable...

Right?

–

 _ **Three days later...**_

Jenny had been released from medical on the condition that she take it easy for at least a few weeks. While her visible injuries were all but healed, Doc Cho surmised that using the transportation ability had nearly overloaded her system - especially considering up until she used it, she'd only theorized that she'd be capable of it. She was incredibly weak and needed to regain her strength. For that reason, there was still an IV port in her left hand. She would, for the next two weeks be receiving daily specially mixed IV nutrient treatments. Her stubborn protests fell on deaf ears.

Tony being Tony, had already had a floor set up for them. In typical Tony fashion, he'd gone all out. Like seriously all out. Like made her jaw drop, wanna smack him but hug him at the same time all out. _He's insane. Incredibly crazy but awesomely insane._

The apartment spanned the 69th and 70th floors. It took up half of both with Darcy and Steve's place occupying the other half.

The elevator opened up to a walkway that had a view of the floor below. It was a two floor living space. The six bedrooms were on the top floor.

Oddly enough, when Tony had shown him, Bucky had taken one look at it and declared that he was snatching up a bedroom. As much as he had been happy to be reunited with Steve, he needed space as well. Normally, something like that would've bugged Tony (considering the space was meant for Jenny and Sansa), but he was strangely okay with it (especially after Natasha whispered whatever it was that she did that day – Jenny only knew all this because Clint liked to gossip).

She was _totally_ more than okay with it. Like there wasn't quite a word for just how okay with it she was.

She wanted to stick her tongue out at Natasha when she grinned and arched her eyebrow in that knowing way.

Darcy and Steve pretended (the latter failing miserably) not to notice the exchange.

Clint had grinned like a fool until Natasha smacked him upside the head. As was usually the case, Jenny was quickly coming to find out.

So for the last ten months, Bucky had been the only occupant of the space.

If she'd only known what - _who_ \- she'd been missing in all that time she'd been protesting about moving in. _Hindsight is 20-20 and all that jazz._

The floors were done in dark cherry hardwood. There was a massive living room with a huge charcoal gray sectional couch that could easily fit 20-30 people that formed ¾ of a square. In the middle of the square was a large black plush area rug. It was facing the wall where a 90" flat screen TV hung. There were stairs on either side of the landing leading up to where they were. A floor to ceiling bookshelf was built into the east wall along the stairs.

There was a dining room area in the back left corner. The table was huge. Two sides were a booth and the other two had chairs. The seating could easily accommodate the same amount of people as the couches. The booth and chairs had jewel tone (royal blue, royal purple, hunter green and crimson) colored cushions. The table and chairs themselves were an espresso colored wood.

The kitchen, which was to the left of the dining room, had enough counter space to make any celebrity chef jealous. There were java and cappuccino cabinets, granite counter tops, a multicolored stone back splash and commercial grade stainless steel appliances. An island spanned most of the space between the dining room and kitchen. On the side facing the dining room were bar stools. Over the island hung a pot rack filled with high end utensils and a full set of copper pots, pans, and lids. _Damn him for knowing how much I love to cook..._

While the set up was opulent (solely for its size), it definitely had a homey feel. Pepper told her that Tony had personally overseen the design and construction. He'd had it finished and waiting for them for a long time now. She cried and laughed at the same time because that kind of presumption from Tony was equal parts obnoxious and endearing.

From the kitchen was the entrance to the outdoor terrace. Unlike some of the other floors that had terraces, this one did not have glass panels making up the walls. There was an actual wall approximately 4 ½ feet high and another 2 feet of glass above that. Atop the wall in front of the glass were built in planters filled with black calalillies, fire and ice roses, pink and orange plumeria, and varying colors of moth orchids. _My favorite flowers of course._

There was a large porch swing surrounded by a matching (and of course large) patio set all in teak with colored cushions. A stone fire pit sat in the middle. Off to the right side of all of the seating was a built in barbecue. It was a smaller version of the one on the balcony of the common floors. There was a wine cooler, mini fridge and sink surrounding it.

Her bedroom was gorgeous. Two of the walls were charcoal gray (her favorite color) and the other was cerise (another of her favorites). The fourth wall consisted of primarily windows (giving her a spectacular view out onto her balcony) but in the middle was a wall that was roughly six feet high and six feet wide. It was covered in cork board. Tony knew she loved to put pictures, things she'd drawn and all kinds of other chotchkies on one of the walls of her bedroom no matter where she was.

Her bed was the piece de la resistance so to speak. It was a California king platform bed that had four steps leading up to it. Surrounding was a massive espresso canopy. It was covered in shear curtains in various shades of gray with black and dark pink calalillies (her absolute favorite flower – _Damn you Tony for being so good_ ) on them.

The sight of her bedroom made her daughter squeal happily and tackle Tony. He'd done the room up entirely in _Despicable Me_. The Minion paradise looked as if most of the furniture had been custom made. Sansa's favorite. Sansa's absolute favorite...and Tony knew it. She'd jumped onto one of the beds and in the spirit of her favorite line in the original film, declared, "this bed is so cute and fluffy I'm gonna die." Within seconds, the little girl was sold...

Jenny just rolled her eyes good naturedly at her cousin. He wore a satisfied smirk as he kissed Sansa's forehead. He knew that there'd be no saying no after that. Not unless she wanted to deeply disappoint her daughter. _Well played Tony...well played indeed._

So needless to say, Sansa was playing in her bedroom with Bucky (Sansa had taken one look at his arm and declared him the coolest person ever! And then in the spirit of her mother, dubbed him Jaime...), Steve and Darcy. Which was just as well, as she wanted her little one to stay happily distracted.

Jenny was sitting up (against some crazy comfy body pillows – _dammit Tony, why do you have to know me so freggin well?_ ) in her bed surrounded by Clint, Natasha, Tony and Bruce.

"Tone. Can I have your phone for a sec? My burner is gone and my actual phone is at the Belle Terre house," she asked in a barely audible voice.

Tony nodded and handed his phone over, frowning as she took it with shaking hands. He hated how meek Jenny seemed to be in that moment. It was like right now she had two settings: happy and laughing or shaking and scared. While consciously he knew it would take time for her to recover from the trauma she experienced, he still wished that he could take it all away from her. She'd already known far too much heartache at her age.

They watched as she fiddled with it, typing away for ten minutes before handing it back with a murmured thanks.

Tony pulled up the text messages with a frown. He came across one that didn't make any sense. "You took that long and all you did was text Joey? What is this Lil Bit?"

 **JMMS S** **⁴** **234** **Rud a tharla ach tá muid slán i measc teaghlach**

 **40/7524(1)73/9790(4) Winterfell**

 **Tribal Elder**

 _What the ?_ Tony was confused as all hell. It was the most nonsensical text message he'd ever seen in his life.

They all peeked over his shoulder to see what she'd written.

She wrung her hands nervously. "No, first I sent the wipe all memory command to the burner phone. The minute it's turned on, all information will disappear and overload the circuit boards. The text that transmitted is a ghost message. Your carrier will never register the fact that it was sent. I had to find the right server and connect to it before I could send it through. Joey'll receive it but his carrier will never register it either. Think of it kinda like _Get Smart_. As soon as the message is sent and received, the technological trail that it would normally leave self destructs because of the command algorithm attached to it."

Bruce frowned. "Why would you go through all that trouble?"

"A message that never existed can never be used against you, can it? If it really was Hydra that had us, I'd rather they didn't have access to our current location. If I learned nothing else from my family it was that a little discretion never hurt anyone."

Tony nodded. "Okay, I get all that but what the hell does it mean?"

"JMMS are my initials so he knows it's coming from me. S to the fourth power equals super secret spy shit. Which is our code for any kinda governmental bullshit. Two three four is we are okay. The Irish Gaelic translates to something happened but we're safe among family. The numbers after that are coordinates - latitude and longitude. The 1 in parenthesis means north and the 4 in parenthesis is west. The coordinates for Lower Manhattan. Winterfell is the Tower. Tribal Elder refers to Aunt Peggy. So I just told Joey that..."

Clint cut her off not bothering to hide the fact that he was impressed. "That something happened to you girls but you're safe here with Tony. He needs to come here and bring Director Carter."

"Precisely," she said with a sheepish grin, wringing her hands as she avoided everyone's eyes.

"That's a hell of a code," Natasha told her in a voice that said she approved.

Tony nodded with an encouraging smile on his face

Jenny blushed and fidgeted, uncomfortable with the scrutiny from her cousin and his friends. _Cue subject change, like now!_

"So have ya figured out what they gave me Doc?" She asked as she looked at Bruce.

"You said you remembered bright lights right?"

"Yeah. And after that, I started feeling stronger."

"We analyzed the blood taken from both you and Sansa. We found an amalgam of the Erskine Serum as well as a variant close to what was used on Bucky. The bright lights you remember were most likely gamma radiation. Looking over your medical records, every injury, every broken bone, fracture or scar you've ever had has healed as if they never happened."

They watched as she felt a spot under her lip, then ran her fingers over a spot on the back of her neck under her hairline, she then looked over the inside of her right wrist. Finally she ran her hand over the back of her left shoulder. She shot Tony a look of confusion.

He shrugged his shoulders in response.

Wordlessly, she yanked up the side of her tank top. Spanning from the left side of her ribcage and down to her left hip was a black and red dragon tattoo. She examined it closely, running her fingers over the tattoo for a few minutes. "Oh my Gods," she gasped.

Tony looked shocked as well. He looked to Jenny for permission who nodded her head. He ran his hand along the tattoo and their eyes locked with identical expressions of wonder and disbelief.

"What?" Clint asked as he, Bruce and Natasha glanced at each other in confusion.

"This tat was to cover up the scar from my accident. My side had been pierced by a piece of the SUV's door. I used to have a scar about 8 inches long and about an inch wide there. It's the reason I got that tattoo in the first place. To cover it up. I didn't wanna see a reminder of the accident every time I looked in the mirror."

Tony looked her over as if looking for more changes. "What about her hearing damage?"

Bruce shook his head. "Helen said she can find no evidence to show that she ever had hearing or sight impairments in the first place."

"I didn't even realize," Jenny mumbled. "Tone, I haven't needed my glasses for weeks. I was so focused on the fact that sounds didn't hurt anymore to notice anything else. For years, I've dealt with the fact that my hearing was going and stupid noises hurt. I didn't stop to realize all the changes." She let out a laugh that sounded happy and hysterical at the same time. "Holy fuck, nothing hurts. I mean not the way it used to. I still feel weak and shit but nothing like how it used to be. Come to think of it, I haven't needed my inhaler or any allergy meds for pretty much the entire time they had me."

Tony couldn't help but grinning at his younger cousin, her happiness was infectious. Clint looked thoughtful and Natasha watched as Bruce frowned.

–

Reviews are love :)


End file.
